Greenroom Gossip.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1032, 16 December 1909, Page 17

Greenroom Gossip.

♦ PEBSONAL. Mr. Richard Stewart, manager, and Mr. Charles M. Berkeley, touring manager, of Mr. J. C. Williamson’s new Comic Opera Company, arrived in Auckland on Sunday, to make arrangements for the opening of the company’s season at His Majesty’s, Auckland, on Boxing Day; * * * THREE GOOD PLAYS. “ The Cheat,” “ Brewster’s Millions,” and “ Sherlock Holmes” comprise the repertoire of the J. C. Williamson Dramatic Company that opened in Dunedin last week, and that is making a short tour of the Dominion. • - * - * • THE JULIUS KNIGHT COMPANY. The Julius Knight season in New Zealand terminated in Wellington last week, and on Friday they sailed for Sydney in order to be in time for the final preparation of “The Corsican Brothers,” which is to be their Christmas production in that city. They, have been busily rehearsing the piece during their New Zealand tour, and altogether the revival of the old-time drama promises to excite more interest than has been felt in a production of the same class for some time past. * * * * A NEW ABBIVAL. An arrival by the Marama last week was Mr. Bob Barry, who has come out from America under engagement to J. C. Williamson to play Abanazar the magician in “ Aladdin.” Mr. Barry is already favourably impressed with this country, although so far he has not fared too well owing to the coal strike. On his hurried trip from Brisbane to Melbourne he was certainly not made as comfortable as he might have been, having to sit up all through the night after leaving Sydney in a crowded compartment, owing to the curtailment of passenger accommodation. • • • • A TALENTED CONDUCTOR. Formerly a chorister at Westminster Abbey, Mr. Fritz Hart, the musical conductor of the “ King of Cadonla” company, became a student of the Royal College of Music under the late Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, of whom Mr. Hart says: “He had strong ideas on the subject of academic dis- ! tinctions, and was in the habit of re- : marking, ‘ By the time you have taken your degree you will have forgotten ' how to compose.’ ” Fellow-students i with Mr. Hart were Coleridge Taylor ' (composer of “ Hiawatha”), Kirby 1 Lunn, Agnes Nicholls and Clara Butt. i In time Mr. Hart succeeded to the 1 conductorship of the London Sym> 1 phony Orchestra (which played one of his compositions last year). • * * * * SUBE OF A HE ABT Y WELCOME. i Bert Gilbert will make a welcome ( reappearance at H.M. Theatre on Box- ( ing night as the Duke of Alasca in ] the “ King of Cadonia.” Mr. Gilbert ; comes of a theatrical family. His ] grandfather was a famous actor, his 1 mother a most distinguished singer. ] He has three brothers and two sisters < on the stage, and smelled the foot- i lights himself at the age of three < months, being carried on as the child $

I in “Pizarro.” He disgraced himself j and drove the reigning star to madi, ness by thereby i ruining the most vital part of the tras gedy and bringing to the verge of collapse with .laughter, the which undertaking he continues tp consummate in the fear-ridden Rek gents of Cadonia. •■• • • MISS LOTTIE SABGENT. At the age of seven Miss Lottie Sargent, who will be seen on Monday > week as Malitza in J. C. Williamson’s important production of the new comic opera, “ The King of Cadonia,” began stage career. At this period Miss Sargent played child’s parts with the late Sir Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre, London. Light opera, burlesque, farce comedy, are the vehicles she chose when she grew out of infant roles. Among the various experiences of Miss Sargent was a tour of America. “ What struck me most, that is, in a purely personal way,” she observes, “,was the different receptions we had socially in cities. In New York we were made a great fuss of, in Washington were cold shouldered.” It is Miss Sargent that gives the sensational dance in the “ King of Cadonia,” “ the Danse des Apaches.” With Mr- Bert Gilbert she shares the honour of appearing in one of the most astonishing terpsichorean efforts ever seen south of the line. * * * * FAMOUS MANAGEBESS’ DISCOVEEY. That Miss Dorothy Court, the prima donna in the “ King of Cadonia” company, is one of fortune’s favourites, her stage career has ’ amply proved. This delightful singer and charming actress went right to the front in one bound, finding an opening in the Gilbert and Sullivan revivals at the Savoy Theatre, London. “ The Pirates of Penzance” was only staged when Mr. D’Oyley Carte discovered in Miss Court a “ Mabel” who could sing the high and florid music Sir Arthur Sullivan scored for that part. Miss Court studied at the Royal College of Music, London, for the concert platform, but this she abandoned for a stage career, and thus missed the long waiting for an opportunity that breaks the spirit of so many young and promising artists. Australian critics speak in unbounded terms of admiration of her playing of the Princess Marie in the “King of Cadonia.” To an interviewer, Miss Court said: “That which had struck her most forcibly since her arrival in Australia was the magnificent chorus provided for the opera. All young girls, with wonderful fresh voices who are capable musicians, able to read any music at sight, and, most wonderful of all, the majority of whom are able to dance. Such a combination is unknown in England or America, even in the very best organisations.” • ■ • « “THE KING OF CADONIA.” Mr. Herbert Clayton is not only a well-known baritone, but has achieved success as an author. He wrote “ The Hon’ble Phil” for that inimitable comedian, G. P. Huntly, and had a London and New York production. He took the precaution while he was at it to write a part for himself, and saw to it that he was in the cast. It so happened that when the piece was put into rehearsal he was on his way to Australia under engagement, and made only one appearance when he was recalled to create the part he had penned for himself in his own musical play. Mr. Clayton has, amongst several others, written a one-act play, “ Mounted Infantry,” which was given at a command night at Windsor, and witnessed by His Majesty. Notwithstanding his varied experience, Mr. Clayton is a prey to nervousness. On the opening night of “ The King of Cadonia” (in which he plays the title role) in Melbourne, he says: “I was so horribly nervous I could not keep my hands still. A big first night before an audience is. like my last night on. earth to me.” Active life was begun by Mr. Clayton in an architect’s office, his father having articled him to that profession. Mr. Clayton is accredited with being the best-looking baritone in the whole of the length and breadth of England. » * * * THE PANTOMIME SEASON. Christmas and the pantomime, writes my Melbourne correspondent, draw near, and the Royal Comic Opera Company now presenting “ The Lady Dandies” to a series of delighted audiences at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, will very soon have to bow to the inevitable and move out to leave the big theatre free for “ Aladdin.” The close of their season promises to be just as brilliant as their opening weeks, and the beautiful music, wholesome comedy and gorgeous

f surroundings of the new comedy I- opera, gives them all the opportunism ties for a splendid conclusion. They go to Sydney next, and their opening 3 piece there will be “The Catch of the , Season,” for which the cast T will be 3 very materially strengthened. In the -.'L;first place Miss Florence Vie, engagefl.jjy J. C. Williamson in London for “ the v CJlara Clifton” parts, will be here for Lady Caterham. Then Miss Lydia Flopp, c H£iss. Fanny Dango’s sister, r is to have a place in the cast, and finj ally Mr. Fred. ‘Leslie, who has rejoin- ' ed the company, has had a part written ’ in for him that " will give him Scope, i not only for his comedy, but also for i his dancing. “ THE DONKEY MAN” ABEIVES. Mr. William Hassen, known of old as “ The Donkey Man,” arrived in Melbourne from South Africa in the Commonwealth last week, and immediately got to work with preparations for his part in “Aladdin.” He has (says my Melbourne correspondent) no lines to learn, but nevertheless it will be a most important character, lor the humble beast of burden accompanies Aladdin on all his travels, and even in the magic cave his presence is called for. * * * * . BEBT GILBERT BACK IN HARNESS. That Mr. Bert Gilbert, back once more in harness with the new comic opera company, has benefited by his long spell in the Blue Mountains, is made manifest by the following characteristic comments on his condition contained in a letter to a Mel- . bourne friend. “I’m fine; tip-top! Fat ! I should think I was; when I came from the mountains I tried to get into one of my old suits—the top button of my trousers refused to do its duty, went off with a bang, so now, until I have new clothes made, I am using a pulley and block. I have been christened ‘ Cherub’ by the new Comic Opera Company, and I’ve been mistaken twice for ‘ Banty,’ so farewell to the bewitching charm of slender grace.” A NEW PICTURE SENSATION. Mr. Charles McMahon, who is at present visiting Auckland, informs me that he will be shortly touring the Dominion with the latest living picture sensation, giving a vividly realistic impression of the late Marcus Clarke’s story “For the Term of His Natural Life.” The whole of the scenes were acted by a specially organised dramatic company that visited the several places in Tasmania associated with Mr. Marcus Clarke’s thrilling story. The presentation is therefore arranged on exceptionally interesting lines, and with a regard to detail and completeness that would be impossible had the drama been enacted on an ordinary stage. In the unfolding of the great film which presents such vivid pictures of the sufferings and martyrdoms of the unfortunate Rufus Dawes, every incident in the absorbing story is vividly portrayed. One feature that stands out in bold relief is that depicting the burning of the convict ship Hydaspes. The show is highly spoken of by the leading Australian and Tasmanian papers, and !s sure to attract good houses here. boxing night attraction. “ The King of Cadonia,” the new pomic opera by the new Comic Opera Company, to be produced by J. C. Williamson on Boxing Night, first saw the light at the Prince of Wales’ Theatre, London, towards the end of last year. It is a musical play in two acts, Mr. Frederick Lonsdale being responsible for the story and Mr. Adrian Ross and Mr. Sydney Jones for the music. For the forthcoming production the caste will include Miss Dorothy Court as Princess Marie, Miss Lottie Sargent as Malitza, Mr. Herbert Clayton as the Duke Alexis, Mr. Bert Gilbert as the Duke of Alasla, and Mr. Frank Greene as Laski. A FRIEND TO THE 8008. Mr. Harry Rickards has set aside the afternoon of Monday next for uis entertainment to provide Christmas dinner for a thousand poor of Sydney. In addition to the high-class Tivoli programme, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fitzsimmons, Mr. Tommy Burns, and Mr. Rickards will appear. * * * * THE THEATRE-GOING AMERICAN. According to a letter received from Mr. Ashton, who is now in New York representing J. C. Williamson, the Americans are very enthusiastic theatre-goers, and show their propensity for this class of amusement by paying far higher prices for admission than do Australians. When in

San Francisco some time ago Mr. Ashton went to see “ The Merry Widow,” which was being presented in one of the leading theatres there. The performance on the whole he did not consider as;good as the Australasian production, butthe people were quite willing-toj .pay from 2s up to 10s for their seats, -..The.piece ran for a season of six weeks, and in. the first half of that time the receipts totalled over £3OOO .per weeks and at: each performance, including matinees,; the: opera played to capacity limit. Further, as instancing the .scale, of pieces, the tariff for each seat , actually averaged 5s 9d,. or more; than, is paid for the dearest ;seat ; ih . :an . Australasian theatre.- j , •• MELBA'S PROTEGEES. ~ ' Madame Melba has now taken up her residence at Macedon, where she will remain until her departure for Europe. She has completed the hearing of the various young singers, to whom she promised auditions. Many of these students showed considerable vocal promise, but the one that most appealed to Madame Melba on the general ground .of voice, technique, intelligence, temperament, and indus try, is a young Tasmanian soprano, Miss Lucy Atkins, who will accompany the diva to Europe. • * • ' • “ALADDIN” “ BEAUTIES.” Miss Lily Iris, who has arrived in Melbourne to take up her engagement with J. C- Williamson as principal boy in “ Aladdin,” is a tall, statuesque (beauty of the real fair English type, writes my Melbourne correspondent. Her photographs — even in “ The Sketch,” which makes a specialty of beauty studies —hardly do her justice, for her colouring and her animation alike refuse to be included in the limitations of a sensitised plate. She has an abundant supply of that “go” and vivacity which is always such a welcome concomitant to an attractive stage personality, while her keenness and enthusiasm is sufficiently vouched for by the fact that within an hour of landing she was up at the theatre with Mr. Coventry busily . going through her songs and talking over her part. She has been on the stage since she was twelve years old, beginning as a dancer, and she was the .first —even before Loie Fuller —to introduce. the serpentine dance. In her girlhood, the turn that she remem-bers-with most interest is one—of two years’ duration —with the late Johnny Sheridan. Miss Iris has travelled far, having visited South Africa, South America, the whole of Europe,

Egypt, and every part of the British Isles. Miss Clara Beck, who arrived with Miss Iris for the principal girl part in “ Aladdin,” is an excellent contrast to the latter. She is slighter and darker, with a most engaging piquancy of expression, a beautiful svelte figure, and an abundance of dark brown hair. She too, like Miss Iris, was at work an hour or so after landing. ’ *' TAKING NO RISKS I . Before he joined J. C, Williamson’s new Comic Opera Company, Mr. Victor Prince was a member of a touring company which visited amongst other territory, the back-blocks of Victoria, and of one town in particular he has an amusing story to tell. The company were giving their premiere performance in a new hall of which the proprietor was exceedingly proud. The entertainment progressed amid a silence that was only broken by the applause of one old woman who was conspicuously seated in the front row. Mr. Prince, who naturally: liked a little encouragement to greet the efforts of himself and his fellow members, sought the proprietor and pointed out that the only applause came from the old lady aforementioned. “ Oh,” remarked the owner of the hall, “ don’t take any notice of her. She’s mad. No noise for me. There will be no whistling and stamping of feet in my new hall if I know it.” At another hall, just as the conjurer of the company was in the act of balancing a lighted lamp on a billiard cue, the proprietor shouted out excitedly, “ Here, none of that; this hall isn’t insured.” • • * • A WONDEEFUL DANCER. Mlle. De Dio, whose dancing at the Sydney Tivoli is provoking so much enthusiasm, is a small dark (Frenchwoman, . with all the vijvacity of her race. When,' desiring to go on the stage, she realised that she could not sing and did not know whether she could act, a friend suggested that she should dance. Thus she began as a child. Her work is skirt dancing—" the most beautiful of all,” she says. “ There is step dancing, but that is not so attractive; and shuffling clog dancing, and even fancy stepping cannot bring, out the beauty and grace of movement as skirt dancing does. Mlle. De Dio has danced all over Europe, and in America and South Africa. Her ingenious and effective art is of the ■kind associated with the name of Miss Loie Fuller. According to Mr. Harry Rickards, she is, in her own line, un-

rivalled in the world. She depends for effect largely upon gorgeous combinations in light and colour, which are worked most wonderfully. The result is a bewildering series of illusions. Miss De Dio is first an exquisite butterfly flitting about from flower to flower in a garden of indescribable loveliness. Next we find ourselves gazing upon an ocean bed, whereon lies a glorious pearl; a diver seizes it, and immediately the lady emerges from the shell as the veritable spirit of the waters. In the final scene thunder and lightning play a prominent part, and amidst pillars and sheets of flame De Dio dances until at last she disappears. It is altogether a most remarkable performance. • • • • THE BESSES O’ TH’ BARN BAND. Hardly any band in the world has such a record of triumphs as that possessed by the Besses o’ th’ Barn Band, which is touring South Africa, with extraordinary success just now. Away back in 1821, it gained its first prize in the shape of a purse of silver for its playing of a test piece “ God, Save the King,” at a Manchester musical competition. Later on, in 1837, it was presented with an ornamental crown set with stones, etc., for its excellent rendering of “ Hail, Smiling Morn,” at a competition at Farnsworth, England. But it was not until about 1878 that the combination began to annex prizes in a wholesale way, and gradually established its preeminence to such effect that it was a for it to win prizes aggregating over £2OO in value in any one year. In 1884, for example, it won trophies and other prizes to the value of £213; in 1885 its prizes totalled £268; in 1886 £355; and so on, until it won no less than £742 in prizes, including every challenge cup offered for competition in Great Britain during the year—a record of which any band might well be proud, but it forms only a small portion of the full list of honours gained by the “ Besses” since their inception as a band. If that full list were printed, with the details, it would occupy a good half-page in a daily newspaper. • * a • MADAME CALVE. Madame Emma Calve, who is to appear in Australia next year, has ever been in extraordinary request in London, where she is both personally and professionally a warm favourite. Since her first appearance in the world’s greatest city on the 16th May, 1892, when she created a furore with her impersonation of Santuzza in “ Cavalleria Rusticana,” she has been an al-

most annual visitor to London, and -

seems to gain fresh laurels with each reappearance. As recently as June last, she presented herself once more before the enthusiastic London public at the local Queen’s Hall, and such was the character of her rendering of such numbers as David’s “ Air du Mysoli” and the “ Habanera” from “ Carmen,” that she was recalled again and again. Indeed her reception was so gratifying that it was resolved she should give another concert at the same place, prior to her departure for Australia, and, accordingly, she sang once again with brilliant effect on Friday, 3rd December last. It might be mentioned that Madame Calve received a high fee for each of the above appearances, and, as some indication of what a high fee is, it may be further mentioned that she received £ 1000 for appearances at two fashionable “At Homes” in London in one week. MISS AMY CASTLES. Miss Amy Castles, me brilliant young Australian soprano, is now living the life of a hard-working artiste, and quite recently was giving as many as five concerts a week. And in giving these concerts on ner Victorian tour, the songstress frequently involved herself in an expenditure of time in travelling along that would do cre-r dit to a particularly strenuous commercial traveller. Generally her daily programme included a t rain journey of three or four hours, and in most cases, it also included two daily social functions given in her honour by the people of the town where she had chanced to appear. Almost invariably after arriving at the railway station of the town where she was to sing that night, she would be met by a gathering of school children or by some more formal body, and, after participating in their hearty welcome, iwould just have time to lunch at her hotel before preparing to attend a reception given in the afternoon. Usually a reception of that nature would last until between four and five p.m., so that the singer would only have about a couple of hours’ rest before presenting herself on the concert platform in the evening. After the concert would come bed at 11 p.m. or later, but bed was almost always accompanied by the prospect of having to rise early on the following morning in order to travel as before. Still, with all this energetic existence, Miss Castles had no difficulty in maintaining her natural, amiable demeanour, for she understands that she is now suffering the rather pleasurable penalties of being famous.